Roaming around rural Goa

Dec 24 - Dec 28 2019 

Last year, we spent our December break in Srilanka and the year before, in Karaikudi.  This year, my mind was set on Rajasthan or Gujarat, when I happened to read this article in the Hindu and decided to check it out. 

 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/travel/beyond-beaches-the-hidden-gems-of-rural-goa/article29701498.ece

It was a farm stay in rural Goa and ticked all our boxes - a laid back natural setting and the promise of family friendly activity around the place. 

We landed in Dabolim airport  early morning Dec 24th . Dudhsagar Plantation is 1.5 hours from the airport. Ours was an early flight and there was time to kill before check in. So, we dropped by Colva beach , on our way to Dudhsagar Plantation . 

My attempt at a Malaikottai recreation in the sand :)

On the way, I got hooked to gazing at old Portuguese houses and their old world charm; the sprawling lawns and spacious layouts add to their beauty. We stopped at Chandor, capital of old Goa, to get inside a Portuguese mansion - 400 year old Braganza house. 


Braganza House:

A short drive through lush rural Goa  led us to  Dudhsagar Plantation in the village of Kulem.  

We were received by our gracious hosts, Ashok and his father Ajit . 

A backstory here, to Dudhsagar Plantation. In the 1980s, Mr and Mrs Ajit and their young family moved from Germany to his native Goa and set up the Plantation from scratch. Imagine the passion involved in raising a thriving farm out of unkempt land, over many years , with limited resources!  The farm today is filled with native trees - coconuts, cashews, betel nut and the accompanying pepper vines, banana and many other local spices and fruit trees. To our delight, we had their five friendly dogs to keep us company, along with hens, goats and cows. The produce goes straight into their food - mainly vegetarian, all cooked and served with love , straight from their kitchen. It was farm to fork in the truest sense.   ( Those who know yours truly, can guess my excitement levels :). )   Ashok took us on a trip around the plantation , which includes a natural pool - with living plants and insects . It is a huge plantation, but the cottages are restricted to 5 , so it does not feel touristy at all.  

Our cottage for the stay..

Keshav quickly became friends with this dog, Kaloo. 

Ashok made our entire stay super comfortable and helped us with all the logistics. We had showed up relying solely on his local connects to get around the place and it worked out great.

The first day, we headed to Dudhsagar Falls, about 10 km from where we stayed. The journey from the ticket area to Dudhsagar Falls, is a journey in itself. There are about 40 Mahindra Boleros that behave like All Terrain Vehicles, wading through water, rough roads inside Bhagwan Mahaveer forest reserve.  A rough ride and a short trek later, we arrive at Dudhsagar Falls. There are ample opportunities to sight the waterfalls in all its glory,  from quite a distance away.  The foot of the waterfall, makes it totally worth the trek. A lake catches all the fresh water thundering down the falls and makes it safe for visitors to take a relaxed dip.

The next day, we trekked to Tambdi Surla falls, on a precarious 4 km trek inside the forest, starting from a Shiva temple.


Tambdi Surla Temple - the oldest temple in Goa

On our trek..

Tambdi Surla Falls

Tambdi Surla is a small falls, where you get to put your head inside the waters in full force. I felt like the Liril girl going "La , la la la laaaaa". Quite literally. 

This trip ended up being a waterfall explorer , though we had not planned it that way. The next day, we did a short trek to Saveri waterfalls in Netravali . Perhaps the most luxurious waterfall visit yet - we had  the place all to ourselves. The waterfall ended in a vast lake, like Dudhsagar, but much smaller in size.  I stepped into the water and had a swarm of fish nibbling my feet. The water was exquisitely fresh. Keshav had a fun time swimming in the pool. We both love water and a fresh water dip is so rare to come by , so we made the most of it. (Such a joy to come out of the water with no chlorine / sea salt and sticky skin. )

A tree en route Saveri falls

Saveri waterfalls

Back at Dudhsagar Plantation, we spent the last day lazing around the place - eating, reading, sleeping, in that order.  We managed all four days with about half an hour of connectivity and did not miss anything.

                                                        

Before taking the flight back, we had another customary beach visit to Uthorda. I also sneaked some time to buy local Goan cashews , my only shopping spend on the trip.

If you are looking for a relaxing few days , surrounded by wilderness, with some room for adventure, I heavily recommend South Goa and Dudhsagar Plantation.